Audience reaction from the topKirstein vs. Arpino

Whenever I've see performances of Matthew Bourne's pieces ( I wouldn't necessarily call them ballets) Bourne sitting in the stalls and generally leaps to his feet and applauds vociferously as soon as the curtain goes down. Perhaps he does this because he's so enthusiastic about his dancers and grateful that they have given such wonderful performances. On the other hand................

FWIW, I used to see Kirstein in the center of the first row of the First Ring, about half the times I was somewhere in that section, which was not very often, as I preferred the orchestra; and Villella sometimes sits on the left aisle in the center section of the Au Rene Theatre in the Broward Center for the Performing Arts in Ft. Lauderdale, and used to sit there in the Jackie Gleason Theatre in Miami Beach, too, where I've not been for some time, however. As for working for him: One evening his regiseur (sp?) was sitting in front of him (in Gleason) at the premiere of a revival she had prepared, and while we were giving the dancers some of their deserved applause, he reached forward and patted her on the head...

My wife and I had a subscription in the first ring (as well as two others in the second ring.) Kirstein sat in the first row of the first ring, as Jack Reed said. Over the course of several years I saw him applaud politely a handful of times. Usually he remained impassive throughout the performance and left before the curtain calls.

Interesting. The impression I got from Mel's post was of Arpino whipping up the audience, regardless of the quality of the performance. I almost imagined his public whoop-whoopings followed backstage by a stern recounting of unfortunate performance moments.